When waiting to board a Washington State Ferry, vehicles without a pre-paid reservation must:
Board ahead of reserved vehicles if they arrive first.
Reservations take priority regardless of arrival order.
Wait in the stand-by lane; reserved vehicles load first, then stand-by fills remaining space.
Pay double the normal fare to board.
No fare surcharge for standby vehicles.
Book a reservation at the terminal kiosk before boarding.
Reservations must be made in advance online for most routes.
Washington State Ferries (the largest ferry system in the US) uses a mixed reservation + standby loading system. Reserved vehicles board first and guarantee a spot. Standby vehicles wait in a dedicated lane and load in arrival order after reservations are loaded, depending on space availability — no advance payment boosts standby priority.
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